Windows Desktop Application Automation Using AutoIt (opens in new tab)

(blog.teemya.com)

50 pointsr0ash8y ago25 comments

25 comments

21 comments · 6 top-level

otterpro8y ago· 6 in thread

I've been using AutoHotkey as well as AutoIt in the past. If I need keyboard macro, I use AHK. But if I need automation that interacts with other apps, I use AutoIt. It's fairly easy to get started writing scripts, but I've never liked the language/syntax of either AHK or AutoIt. One thing I wish I could do this is to write everything in Python, Lua, etc...

mappu8y ago

http://www.sikuli.org/ is a crossplatform Python equivalent (and IDE with built-in UI capturing).

There's also https://github.com/go-vgo/robotgo for the Go world.

skymt8y ago

Work on modernizing AutoHotkey's syntax has been ongoing for years, and the v2 alpha makes huge (backwards-incompatible) steps to make the syntax simpler and more consistent.

https://autohotkey.com/v2/v2-changes.htm

mappu8y ago

I wish NSIS would do this too.

r0ashOP8y ago

You can use AutoIt's Python wrapper, its somewhat reliable and I use it in automation in production.

degenerate8y ago

This? https://pypi.org/project/PyAutoIt/

Curious if you have tried the other method (I have not): https://stackoverflow.com/a/9371563

1 more reply

askvictor8y ago

Strangely enough, from reading the forums, it seems that AHK's syntax makes sense for non-programmers, while programmers seem to dislike it.

maxxxxx8y ago· 5 in thread

We do a lot of UI automation for testing. I have played with AutoIt quite a but I found it pretty difficult to get scripts to run reliably on different machines. It's get for one offs though. It wouldn't hurt if you could use it as a library from C# code. Or is that possible? The built in language is not that great.

antruok8y ago

AutoItX: https://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/177167-using-autoit...

R0b0t18y ago

Have a look at https://github.com/MerlijnWajer/Simba/. It uses uses a dialect of Object Pascal for scripting and some core functions are available in a library.

There are other projects which attempt to do similar things but I sincerely believe Simba is the best program for desktop automation to date.

I helped write it.

softblush8y ago

Seems to have no usable documentation and the github repo has basically no activity in a long time

1 more reply

st0le8y ago

https://github.com/Microsoft/WinAppDriver ?

maxxxxx8y ago

I have looked at that but it needs Win10 and doesn't do WPF. Right now we a mix between Ranorex, UI Automation and Selenium. They all have their strengths and often one library can support certain elements that others can't.

Fnoord8y ago· 3 in thread

How does this compare with AHK (AutoHotKey)?

antruok8y ago

AHK is good for hotkeys and keyboard/mouse overrides. And maybe some mini window automation.

If the logic grows and automation becomes complex, AutoIt is more suitable.

r0ashOP8y ago

So far, I've used it to connect with remote mySQL/mariaDb and SQLite. In my opinion its pretty reliable, a lot than Sikuli.

naveen998y ago

ahk was forked from the last open source version of autoit. I like ahk. Never needed to use autoit.

syntaxing8y ago· 1 in thread

Does anyone know how this compares to Sikuli(x)?

r0ashOP8y ago

I used Sikuli couple of years ago, that time, it was not able to work if computer is locked (I used image hooks). However I am satisfied enough with AutoIt that, I might not look at other tools in couple of next few years, it has helpful community at forums and stackoverflow.

sebazzz8y ago

What about other automation solutions, like UIPath Studio (which has a free community edition)?

zmix8y ago

AutoIT can connect to the ActiveScripting (Windows Script Host) environment, which is great!

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

25 comments

21 comments · 6 top-level

otterpro8y ago· 6 in thread

mappu8y ago

http://www.sikuli.org/ is a crossplatform Python equivalent (and IDE with built-in UI capturing).

There's also https://github.com/go-vgo/robotgo for the Go world.

skymt8y ago

Work on modernizing AutoHotkey's syntax has been ongoing for years, and the v2 alpha makes huge (backwards-incompatible) steps to make the syntax simpler and more consistent.

https://autohotkey.com/v2/v2-changes.htm

mappu8y ago

I wish NSIS would do this too.

r0ashOP8y ago

You can use AutoIt's Python wrapper, its somewhat reliable and I use it in automation in production.

degenerate8y ago

This? https://pypi.org/project/PyAutoIt/

Curious if you have tried the other method (I have not): https://stackoverflow.com/a/9371563

1 more reply

askvictor8y ago

Strangely enough, from reading the forums, it seems that AHK's syntax makes sense for non-programmers, while programmers seem to dislike it.

maxxxxx8y ago· 5 in thread

antruok8y ago

AutoItX: https://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/177167-using-autoit...

R0b0t18y ago

Have a look at https://github.com/MerlijnWajer/Simba/. It uses uses a dialect of Object Pascal for scripting and some core functions are available in a library.

There are other projects which attempt to do similar things but I sincerely believe Simba is the best program for desktop automation to date.

I helped write it.

softblush8y ago

Seems to have no usable documentation and the github repo has basically no activity in a long time

1 more reply

st0le8y ago

https://github.com/Microsoft/WinAppDriver ?

maxxxxx8y ago

Fnoord8y ago· 3 in thread

How does this compare with AHK (AutoHotKey)?

antruok8y ago

AHK is good for hotkeys and keyboard/mouse overrides. And maybe some mini window automation.

If the logic grows and automation becomes complex, AutoIt is more suitable.

r0ashOP8y ago

So far, I've used it to connect with remote mySQL/mariaDb and SQLite. In my opinion its pretty reliable, a lot than Sikuli.

naveen998y ago

ahk was forked from the last open source version of autoit. I like ahk. Never needed to use autoit.

syntaxing8y ago· 1 in thread

Does anyone know how this compares to Sikuli(x)?

r0ashOP8y ago

sebazzz8y ago

What about other automation solutions, like UIPath Studio (which has a free community edition)?

zmix8y ago

AutoIT can connect to the ActiveScripting (Windows Script Host) environment, which is great!

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse